This invention relates to heat-exchanger tubes and more particularly to a method of limiting the heat flux across heat-exchanger tubes.
While it is generally desirable to maximize the thermal conductance of heat-exchanger tubes, in recirculating steam generators in which a liquid metal is utilized as the primary fluid, it is desirable to limit the heat flux to avoid DNB (Departure from Nucleate Boiling) and/or to inhibit certain corrosion mechanisms, which are strongly dependent on heat flux. Alternate methods, which include protective sleeves on the tubes, produce similar results, but require special design features and are more costly.